Clownish convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein made a habit of making large donations to several local charities to pump up his credibility and be able to rub shoulders with big wigs. Now he's serving a 50 year& sentence for his scheme that ripped investors off to the tune of $1.2 billion dollars. After the conviction those charities had to decide what to do with those dirty money donations. The foundation run by Dwyane Wade and former Dolphin Jason Taylor have announced today that they'll return significant sums of money.
Wade's charity, Wade's World Foundation, has agreed to return $12,500 of a $25,000 donation it received from Rothstein's law firm in July 2009.
The Jason Taylor Foundation will return $50,000 of a hefty $100,000 donation it received in March of 2009.
From The South Florida Business Journal:
Seth Levit, executive director of the [Jason Taylor Foundation], said returning the donation presented some problems.Other charities, including Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options, the Onyx and Breezy Foundation, Family Central Inc., and Here's Help Inc. will also return donations.
"In the end, Jason and the board felt like it was the right thing to do to cooperate and find a resolution," he said. "We did have to pull funds from certain areas to return this. We accepted the donation in good faith, and the law firm received certain benefits from being allowed to participate in a charity event."
